Interbasket

With only one first-round series going to the distance (Atlanta-Boston), I believe it’s a good time to call out some international player performances of note.  And with only Zaza Pachulia the only real impact international player remaining in the first round, it’s safe to continue on with this post.

Did I say Manu ginobili was the Spur’s MVP?

Well, he was during the regular season but Tony Parker was the difference-maker in the series against the Suns.  If he continues his level of playoff play (including 41 points in crucial game 3) he’ll give Manu a serious run.  Parker was nothing less than unstoppable in the Spur’s wins, averaging 32.5 points, 8 assists and shot 54.3% from the field in those four games.

Manu Ginobili, on the other hand, played well in the first three games, but his final two weren’t anything to write back to his hometown of Bahia Blanca.  For the series, Ginobili scored 18.2 points a game, snagged 3.8 rebounds and passed for 2 assists.

Hedo Turkoglu was the do-it-all guy for the Orlando Magic.  His points were down a little from the regular season, but no doubt the 29-year old is playoff tested.  In 5 games against the Toronto Raptors, “Turk” averaged 17.8 points, 7.8 rebounds, and 5.4 assists.

Kobe this, Kobe that, but without Pau Gasol, the Lakers wouldn’t be where they are. Though the 7-0 Spanaird couldn’t match his first game output (36pts, 16 rebounds, and 8 assists), Gasol was solid in the Laker’s sweep of the Denver Nuggets.  Gasol averaged a “quiet” 22.3 points, 9 rebounds, 5 assists, and 2.7 blocks.

Peja Stojakovic did exactly as he was supposed to — hit threes at a blistering rate.  With “blistering” equaling 60.7% (17-28) in the Hornet’s five games.  The Serbian star averaged 15.8 points and hit almost three three-pointers a game.  Peja also contributed 5.6 rebounds a game and had a double-double in game three.

Though he only shot 40% from the field, Memo Okur averaged a double-double in the six-game series against the Houston Rockets providing rare interior presence to his exterior game.  13.2 points, 12.5 rebounds while hitting 7-20 from three point land.

On the other side, Luis Scola put up 14 points, 9.4 rebounds, non-stop hustle and one bone-headed play.  The Argentine superstar could have definitely done better from the field and free-throw line, but Scola elevated his game otherwise.

Zaza Pachulia?  He was nothing more than a small sidenote when I wrote my International NBA Playoff Preview and looking solely at his stats (through six games he’s averaged 3.7 points and 2.5 rebounds on 31% shooting), it really doesn’t look as if he’s done much.  However, watching the games tell a different story, the 6-10 center from the Republic of Georgia is making his presence felt on the floor.

Zaza loves knocking bodies around, causing chaos in the paint, getting in the face of Kevin Garnett, exciting the home-crowd, and after the Hawks beat the Celtics 103-100 to force a game seven, Zaza Pachulia grabbed a microphone and screamed “We’re going to Game 7! Woooooooooo!” I would be remiss not to mention Pachulia especially if the woeful Hawks actually win game seven.

Darius Songaila has been similar.  Though his stats do not yield his subtle contributions, make no mistake the Cavs were aware of the 6-8 Lithuanian.  His aggressive drives to the hoop yielded 2.5 free-throw attempts during the series, compared to 0.9 in the regular season. Oh and let’s not forget the psuedo-slap to LeBron James in which he was suspended for.

Sources and other links: Preview: Impact International Players in the 2008 NBA Playoffs (Ibn), From our forum - 2008 NBA Playoffs Discussion Thread (Ibn Forum), Atlanta 103 - Boston 100 Game Recap (Yahoo! Sports)